As a longtime educator in York County, Dr. Sakeenah Sweeney knows the impact that early learning, or the lack of it, has on children entering the public school system. Throughout her two decades as an educator, she has seen children start kindergarten without being able to stay in their seats or know how to engage with other students.
Those children have struggled in school.
Today, Dr. Sweeney uses that insight and experience at her iCare Youniversity, a high-quality early childhood education center in York that supports families across first, second, and third work shifts. That distinction makes iCare Youniversity one of the only programs in the region to offer 24-hour early learning.
From vision to reality
When her center was only a dream, Dr. Sweeney leaned on the guidance and step-by-step support of Community Connections for Children and its Every Child Has Opportunities initiative.
“From the beginning, they were very instrumental to opening the center because they walked me through the steps,” she says.
She paired with CCC Provider Specialist Barb Green for help with navigating city codes and finding the resources she needed to open the program’s doors to families.
“You can see the dream in her eyes,” Barb says of Dr. Sweeney. “We take them from just the words ‘I think I could’ to developing a safe and nurturing space for children.”
Barb pointed Dr. Sweeney to ECHO’s startup funding, administered through York County Economic Alliance’s BLOOM Business Empowerment Center. A BLOOM Start-Up Child care Forgivable Loan helped Dr. Sweeney complete critical renovations to bring her building up to code. The money allowed iCare Youniversity to install an entrance security system and add fresh paint, updated lighting, and new educational tools.
“I could not have done this on my own without the funding,” Dr. Sweeney says.
A program built with ECHO assistance
Dr. Sweeney invests in staff development, including participation in the ECHO Teacher Aide Program. Through it, one of her employees is pursuing a Child Development Associate (CDA) with Dr. Sweeney serving as her mentor/teacher. ECHO provides a stipend to both of them as active participants in the program. With participant stipends and salary reimbursement, ECHO delivers wraparound support that strengthens educator advancement and builds long-term workforce stability.
Dr. Sweeney has applied for an ECHO Innovation Grant, hoping to expand her indoor play space, add safety and security enhancements, and introduce technology and robotics. These upgrades would allow iCare Youniversity to serve an additional 10 to 15 families and address the increasing demand for split-shift care.
Beyond facility improvements, Dr. Sweeney wants to grow her program into a model for other communities and to advocate more strongly for the early childhood education workforce.
A program that meets parents’ needs
Barb believes that iCare Youniversity provides exactly the kind of solution that Pennsylvania needs to its early learning crisis.
“There is a child care shortage,” she says. “That is why it’s so important to spotlight people like Dr. Sweeney, who are going above and beyond, who are offering something different than those traditional hours, offering that second- and third-shift care and creating a safe space for children.”
Thanks to CCC coaching and ECHO investments, like BLOOM start-up funding, ECHO teacher aide support, and the possibility of ECHO Innovation Grant funds, iCare Youniversity is expanding access to high-quality early childhood education for families who need it most.
“You can’t pour from an empty cup,” Dr. Sweeney says. “They’re constantly pouring into me, and so I can pour into my staff, and so my staff can pour into our parents and community.”
Every Child Has Opportunities is an early childhood education initiative in York County, Pennsylvania, led by Community Connections for Children and York County Economic Alliance. Funding partners include WellSpan Health, the J. William Warehime Foundation, the Powder Mill Foundation, United Way of York County, the Kinsley Foundation, and the York County Community Foundation.
For more information on ECHO’s grant programs, visit www.echoyork.org/grants-and-programs.